Golden year for Limerick Choral Union

Poet Mary Coll, Mayor of Limerick Kathleen Leddin and musical director Malcolm Green

ย by Rose Rushe

Poet Mary Coll, Mayor of Limerick Kathleen Leddin and musical director Malcolm Green
Poet Mary Coll, Mayor of Limerick Kathleen Leddin and musical director Malcolm Green

WONDERFUL for the swelling ranks of Limerick Choral Union (LCU) to arrive at the 50th anniversary of the company; disappointing that their City of ย Culture application was denied funding.

Still, their principal focus for 2014 is โ€œthe old and the newโ€ and Mayor Kathleen Leddin honoured members with a City Hall reception on Wednesday 22. ย Congratulating the union on staying whole since 1964, she applauded their โ€œsterling work for the artsโ€ and paid special tribute to the musical director of 17 years, Malcolm Geen on leading โ€œsuch a complete group that has the voices, has the musicโ€.

Limerick Choral Union Orchestra is a professional assembly of c.36 musicians who will be drawn on for Easter and November concerts by this oratorio choir at UCH.

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Malcolm spoke to Limerick Post of their Good Friday celebration in the concert hall of โ€˜spirestoneโ€™, a work dedicated to Limerick and commissioned by LCU. Poring through the score we hear that โ€œFiona Linnane did the โ€˜spirestoneโ€™ music, text is by Mary Coll for this work for SATB โ€“ thatโ€™s soprano, alto, tenor, bass and the instrument is pianoโ€.

It references much that is Limerick โ€“ rugby, the Shannon, churches, bridges and โ€œLimerickโ€™s motto, โ€˜Urbs antiqua fuit studiisque asperrima belliโ€™, which means โ€˜an ancient city studied in the arts of warโ€™.

This is an eight-minute work for Limerick Choral Union which will have its world premier on April 18 at the concert hall. (All present at the Mayor’s golden anniversary party for them were treated to performance, sans orchestra to oblige this riverfront office)

Malcolm outlines the two other works for Good Friday airing โ€“ Mozartโ€™s ‘Requiem’ and a beautiful piece by Verdi, โ€˜Stabat Materโ€™.

Emerging from the burgundy twill gowns at City Hall, chairwoman Edel Brown mentions that the Requiem โ€œbrings us back to when we were formed in 1964, a choir put together to sing Mozart for Radio Eireannโ€.

Membership remains open for now with the requirement to rehearse at least weekly on Wednesday nights. Contact [email protected] for audition.

Be in touch also if you could be a sponsoring knight to this unfunded, ambassadorial choir and orchestra whose oratorial standards rate internationally. Old meeting new partners in divine harmony?

 

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